An hour doesn’t last long when evaluating a table filled with financial information.
“It’s a lot to go over,” said Dawn Schaller, who submitted a Freedom of Information request to examine an estimated 12,000 pages of Clarkston Community Schools’ check registers, contracts, and other documents.
The hour session, March 31, was all that was granted by administration, citing scheduling conflicts.
“It’s a lot of information to go through,” said Mick Goik, Clarkston schools’ parent who volunteered to help. “It will take some time to get a handle on everything. Time will tell.”
Schaller submitted a followup FOIA requests, March 31 and April 1. She requested photocopies this time, which are subject to fees.
She requested conflict of interest policy change backup documentation, job descriptions for central office employees, board packet that details the 2009 Capital Needs Projects, district organization chart, detailed monthly check register for July 2008 to June 2009, list of approved credit card signers, credit card statements for July 2008 to present.
Heidi McClain, district FOIA liaison, said the information will be provided, April 13, due to offices being closed April 2-9, spring break.
“I’m a little disappointed it will take 2-3 weeks to get documentation. It would take two hours to copy,” Schaller said.
Concerns so far include the district’s organization chart, which shows only department head titles, with no employee names or how many people are in each deparment.’It should include job titles, descriptions, and names’for at least district central office employees, Schaller said.
“That was a concern for me given the fact that Clarkston Community Schools is the largest employer in Independence Township and one of the largest employers in Oakland County,” she said. “I believe that I have a legitimate concern about how CCS could do job evaluations on all of it’s employees without job descriptions.” ?
She will pay FOIA fees including 10 cents per page as well as labor costs.
“I’m like the majority of parents who thought things were going fine, and no point in going to meetings,” Schaller said. “I read about budget issues in February, and one of the kneejerk reactions was to stop busing altogether. That’s just grossly irresponsible. I was just flabbergasted.”
She started attending Clarkston Board of Education meetings in February. Schaller, who already had a trust issue with administration based on an issue with her child, wasn’t impressed.
“Board members were so antagonistic to people asking questions,” she said. “Everyone needs to get the same information, and it wasn’t happening. The district is so closed mouth, it makes you suspicious.”
Budget cut proposals this past January, cutting up to $13 million, were also a concern for Goik.
“I have kids in the school district ? I don’t like that there was a surplus of funds, now there’s a deficit, and they’re cutting programs, outsourcing, busing issues,” he said. “We moved here to Clarkston 10 years ago because of the reputation of the school district ? I don’t want to see it degrade as a result of mismanagement and lack of fiduciary responsibility.”
Once she has the information she seeks, she plans to go over it with the help of friends, neighbors, and others interested in helping.
“We have a lot of experience in financial areas, a good eye for what’s going on,” Schaller said. “It’s Clarkston Community Schools ? it’s the community’s district, not the Roberts and Hyer company.”